§tatp of (Cumu'rtiritt 


LAWS 

CONCERNING THE 
PREPARATION, FORM, and 
USE OF BALLOTS 



COMPILED BY TIIE SECRETARY 


HARTFORD 

Published by the State 









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Publication 
Approved by 
he Board of Control. 


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The Case, Lockwood & Hrainard Co. 



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CHAPTER 250, PUBLIC ACTS OF 
1909, AS AMENDED BY 

Chapter 263. 

PUBLIC ACTS 1911. 

Concerning the Preparation, 
Form and Use of Ballots. 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House 
of Representatives in General 
Assembly convened: 

Section i. Ballots; how furnished; 
form. Section 1632 of the general 
statutes, as amended by section one 
of chapter 250 of the public acts of 
1909, is hereby amended to read as 
follows: All ballots used at elections 
held on the Tuesday after the first 
Monday in November and at all special 
elections held for the purpose of elect¬ 
ing officers voted for on said day shall 
be prepared by the secretary of the 
state and printed at the expense of the 
state. All ballots used at all regular 
town, city, and borough elections, and 
at all special electors’ meetings held 
3 


4 


far the purpose of electing officers 
voted for at such elections, shall be 
printed by the secretary of the state at 
the expanse of the town, city, or bor¬ 
ough for which such ballots are pre¬ 
pared. All such ballots shall be 
printed on plain white paper of uniform 
color, quality, and thickness for each 
ballot of the same class, to be deter¬ 
mined by said secretary. In addition 
to the official endorsement, which shall 
appear on the back thereof, all ballots 
shall contain a list of the candidates of 
the several political parties, which shall 
be printed in parallel columns. Each 
column shall be headed by the name 
of such party, and shall be arranged 
in such order as the secretary may 
direct, precedence, however, being 
given to the party which polled the 
highest number of votes for governor 
at the last preceding general election 
for such office, and so on. The number 
of such columns shall exceed by one 
the number of separate tickets of can¬ 
didates to be voted for at the polling 
place for which the ballot is provided. 
The title of the office, together with 
the names of the candidates therefor, 
shall be printed in a space one-half 
inch in depth and at least two inches 
in width, defined by light horizontal 


5 


lines, with a blank space on the left 
thereof one-fourth of an inch wide em- 
closed on both sides by heavier dark 
lines, which space shall be known as 
the voting space, and shall be of the 
same depth as the space containing 
the title o'f the office and the name of 
the candidate. When two or more 
persons are to be voted for for the 
same office and for the same term, on 
the same party ticket, the title of the 
office shall be printed in the first space 
only. On the right of each ballot shall 
be a column in which shall be printed 
only the titles of the offices for which 
candidates may be voted for by elect¬ 
ors at the polling place for which the 
ballot is printed. Such column shall 
be designated as “ Blank Column ”, 
and in such column the voting spaces 
shall be omitted, but in all other re¬ 
spects such blank column shall be a 
duplicate of the political party column 
upon each ballot. Where electors of 
president and vice-president are to be 
voted for, the title printed over the 
names of the candidates therefor shall 
read “ electors of president and vice- 
president ” ; and where a representa¬ 
tive at large in congress is to be voted 
for, the title printed over the name of 
the candidate therefor shall read “ rep- 


6 


resentative at large ”, and shall be 
placed on the ballot next before “ rep¬ 
resentative in congress ”, and where 
a district representative in congress is 
to be voted for, the title of that office 
shall read “ representative in con¬ 
gress ” ; and where state officers are to 
be voted for, the title of those officers 
shall read “ governor ”, “ lieutenant- 
governor ”, “ secretary ”, “ treasurer ”, 
‘‘comptroller ”, and “ attorney-gen¬ 
eral ”, respectively; and where other 
officers are to be voted for, the titles 
of the officers shall be described as 
they are respectively described in the 
constitution of this state, or if not 
therein mentioned, then their titles 
shall be described as they are described 
in the statutes which create them, re¬ 
spectively. The titles of the officers 
voted for and the names of the candi¬ 
dates shall be printed upon the face 
of the ballots in black ink, and in type 
of uniform size and style. The name 
of the party shall be in larger type than 
that used for printing the titles of the 
officers and the names of the candi¬ 
dates, the sizes and style of which type 
shall be the same throughout the bal¬ 
lot, and shall be prescribed by the sec¬ 
retary not less than thirty nor more 


7 


than sixty days before any election 
held under these provisions. 

Sec. 2. Vote how indicated. Sec¬ 
tion two of chapter 250 of the public 
acts of 1909 is hereby amended to read 
as follows: All ballots shall be printed 
with a blank circle three-fourths of 
an inch in diameter above the name 
of the party at the head of the ticket 
or list of candidates. When any 
elector desires to vote a straight ticket, 
that is, to vote for all of the candidates 
of a party appearing in the party col¬ 
umn on the ballot, he shall place a 
cross-mark “ X ” within the circle at 
the head of the party column contain¬ 
ing the names of such candidates, and 
where the party column which an 
elector has so designated by the cross¬ 
mark “ X ” in the circle at its head does 
not contain the names of candidates for 
all offices for which the elector is en¬ 
titled to vote or does not contain the 
number of names of candidates for any 
office, for whom the elector is entitled 
to vote, he may write in the space in 
said column designated for such office 
and containing the words “ No Nomi¬ 
nation ” the name of any person for 
whom he desires to vote for such office 
or may place a cross-mark “ X ” in the 


8 


voting space at the left of the name of 
any candidate for such office appearing 
in any other party column. In the 
event that any elector does not desire 
to vote for all of the candidates whose 
names appear in any one party column, 
he shall not place a cross-mark in the 
circle at the head of the party column, 
but shall place a cross-mark “ X ” in 
the voting space at the left of the name 
of each candidate, in such column, for 
whom he desires to vote. If, except 
as hereinbefore provided, the elector 
desires to vote for candidates whose 
names appear in different party col¬ 
umns on the ballot he shall not place 
a cross-mark in the circle at the head 
of any party column, but shall place a 
cross-mark “ X ” in the voting space 
at the left of the name of every candi¬ 
date for whom he desires to vote, and 
he may also write in the space in the 
“ blank column ” designated for the 
office the name of any person, not 
printed on the ballot, for whom he de¬ 
sires to vote for such office, and such 
ballot shall be counted for the candi¬ 
date whose name is so written. Any 
elector who wishes to vote a split ticket 
for selectmen may indicate his choice 
by placing the figure “ i ” instead of 
a cross-mark “ X ” in the voting space 


9 


at the left of such candidate’s name, 
and a cross-mark “ X ” in the voting 
space at the left of the name of the 
other candidate for selectman for 
whom he votes, and the candidate 
so designated by the figure “ i ” shall 
be deemed to be first named on such 
ballot. All ballots shall be printed 
on the same leaf with a stub, and shall 
be separated therefrom by a perforated 
line. The part above the perforated 
line, designated as the stub, shall ex¬ 
tend the entire width of the ballot, and 
shall be of sufficient depth to allow 
instructions to voters to be printed 
thereon, which depth shall be not less 
than two inches from the perforated 
line to the top thereof. Upon the 
face of each stub shall be printed, in 
the type known as brevier capitals, the 
following: “This ballot shall be 
marked with a pencil having black 
lead. To vote a straight ticket, make 
a cross-mark ‘ X ’ within the circle 
above one of the party columns. If 
the column so marked in the circle for 
a straight ticket does not contain the 
names of candidates for all offices for 
which you are entitled to vote or the 
number of names of candidates for any 
office equal to the number for whom 
you are entitled to vote, you may write, 


IO 


in the space in said column designated 
for such office and containing the 
words ‘ No Nomination ’, the name of 
any person for whom you desire to 
vote for such office, or may place a 
cross-mark ‘ X ’ in the voting space 
at the left of the name of any candi¬ 
date for such office appearing in any 
other party column. To vote for a por¬ 
tion only of the candidates whose 
names appear in any one party column, 
or to vote a split ticket, that is for can¬ 
didates of different parties, make no 
cross-mark ‘ X ’ in any circle at the 
head of the ballot but make a cross¬ 
mark ‘ X ’ before the name of each 
candidate for whom you vote; and you 
may also write, in the space in the 
‘ blank column ’ designated for the 
office, the name of any person, not 
printed on the ballot, for whom you 
desire to vote for such office/’ On the 
stub of each ballot upon which candi¬ 
dates for selectman are voted for there 
shall also be printed: “ If you wish to 
vote a split ticket for selectmen, desig¬ 
nate your choice for first selectman by 
placing the figure ‘ i ’ in the voting 
space at the left of such candidate’s 
name and place a cross-mark ‘ X ’ in 
the voting space at the left of the name 
of the other candidate for selectman for 


whom you vote. Any other mark than 
the cross-mark ‘ X ’ used for the pur¬ 
pose of voting (or the figure ‘ i ’ used 
for the purpose of designating choice 
for first selectman) will render this bal¬ 
lot void. If you tear, deface, or wrongly 
mark this ballot, return it and obtain 
another.” On the back of all ballots, 
below the stub, at the foot and in the 
center thereof, shall be printed, in 
great primer roman condensed capi¬ 
tals, the words “ official ballot for ” 
and after the word “ for ” shall follow 
the designation of the town, city, bor¬ 
ough, ward, or voting district, as the 
case may be, for which the ballot is 
prepared, the date of the election, and 
a facsimile of the signature of the sec¬ 
retary of the state. Ballots for towns, 
cities, or boroughs divided into wards 
or voting districts shall be endorsed 
“ official ballot for ”, and after the word 
“ for ” shall follow the designation of 
the town, city, borough, and the ward 
or voting district therein, as the case 
may be, for which the ballot is pre¬ 
pared, the date of the election, and a 
facsimile of the signature of the secre¬ 
tary of the state. On the front of the 
stub and immediately above the center 
of the endorsement on the back of the 
ballot when folded shall be printed the 


12 


consecutive number of the ballot in¬ 
tended for such town, city, or borough, 
and the ward or voting district therein, 
as the case may be, beginning with the 
number one and increasing in regular 
numerical order. All ballots of the 
same kind, prepared for the same poll¬ 
ing place, shall be of the same size and 
arrangement, so that, when the stubs, 
numbered as aforesaid, shall be de¬ 
tached therefrom, it shall be impossi¬ 
ble to distinguish any one of the ballots 
from the other ballots of the same 
kind. If two or more officers are to be 
elected to the same office for different 
terms, the term for which each is 
nominated shall be printed upon the 
ballot as a part of the title of the office. 
If at any election one candidate is to 
be elected for a full term and another 
to fill a vacancy, the ballots containing 
the names of the candidates shall, as 
a part of the title of the office, desig¬ 
nate the term which such candidates 
are severally nominated to fill. When 
no nomination has been made by any 
political party having a party column 
on the ballot, for an office to be filled 
at any election, the title of such office 
shall be printed in brevier capital type, 
With the words “ No Nomination ”, 
and any elector desiring to vote for any 


13 


person to fill such office may write the 
name of such person in the space con¬ 
taining the words “ No Nomination 

Sec. 3. Vote for Constitutional 
Amendments and Educational Ques¬ 
tions. Whenever at any election any 
vote for the approval or disapproval of 
any constitutional amendment sub¬ 
mitted for ratification, or any vote for 
or against any educational purpose 
under the special laws of this state, or 
any other vote upon any question, shall 
be taken by ballot in any town, city, 
or borough pursuant to any special 
law, the ballot hereinbefore prescribed, 
provided for towns, cities, or boroughs 
affected by any such question, shall, 
in addition to the columns hereinbefore 
provided for, contain two additional 
columns, each of which shall contain 
spaces of the same general description 
as the spaces in the party columns, ex¬ 
cept that such spaces provided for each 
such question may be of sufficient 
depth to contain the designation of 
such constitutional amendment, or 
other question submitted, and the 
word “ yes ” or the word “ no ” printed 
thereunder. At the left of each such 
space shall be the voting space, which 
shall be of the same width as hereinbe- 


14 


fore provided and of the same depth as 
the space containing the question to be 
voted upon. At the head of each such 
column shall be printed a circle as here¬ 
inbefore described. In the first of the 
two columns provided for in this sec¬ 
tion shall be printed in the spaces pro¬ 
vided the designation of each such con¬ 
stitutional amendment or other special 
question to be voted upon and the word 
“ yes ” thereunder, and in the other 
column provided for in this section 
shall be printed in the spaces provided 
the designation of each such constitu¬ 
tional amendment or other special 
question to be voted upon and the 
word “ no ” thereunder. Any elector 
desiring to vote “ yes ” upon all such 
questions may indicate his choice by 
placing a cross-mark “ X ” within the 
circle at the head of the column con¬ 
taining the word “ yes ”, and any 
elector desiring to vote “ no ” upon all 
of such questions may indicate his 
choice by placing a cross-mark “ X ” 
within the circle at the head of the col¬ 
umn containing the word “ no ”, and 
any elector desiring to vote “ yes ” 
upon any of such questions and “ no ” 
upon any of the others may indicate 
his choice by placing a cross-mark 
“ X ” in the voting space at the left of 


15 


the space containing such question. 
Any ballot marked in any manner 
other than as provided in this act, and 
any ballot bearing any mark other than 
the cross-mark “ X ” used for the pur¬ 
pose of voting will render such ballot 
void; provided, however, that this pro¬ 
vision shall not be so construed as to 
prevent any elector from writing the 
name of any candidate upon any ballot 
as hereinbefore provided. Whenever 
any question provided for in this sec¬ 
tion shall be printed upon any such 
ballot, in addition to the instructions 
provided for in the preceding section 
there shall be printed, in the same style 
of type, and in the same manner, such 
additional instructions concerning 
voting upon such question as the secre¬ 
tary may deem necessary. 

Sec. 4. Ballot to be printed so that 
when folded the face is concealed. 

Each ballot shall be so printed and, 
when voted, shall be so folded that the 
entire face of the ballot shall be con¬ 
cealed, and the stub shall be torn off 
at the time of voting, without exposing 
any part of the face of the ballot. .No 
column or list of candidates containing 
the names of more candidates for any 
office than there are persons to be 


i6 

elected to such office shall be printed 
upon any ballot under the name of any 
political party or independent body. 

Sec. 5. Ballots to be folded in the 
manner in which they are to be voted. 

The secretary shall transmit the ballots 
so printed and prepared, folded in the 
manner in which it is to be voted, 
under his direction to the town clerk 
of each town, or, in the case of a city 
or borough election, to the city or bor¬ 
ough clerk, as the case may be, so that 
they shall be received by such clerk at 
least two days, Sundays not included, 
before the opening of the polls. 

Sec. 6. Ballots to be in sealed pack¬ 
ages. Said ballots shall be enclosed 
and sealed in packages, upon the wrap¬ 
per of which shall appear the number 
of ballots contained therein, and the 
town, city, borough, ward, or voting 
district for which they are intended. 
Each package shall be contained in an 
outer wrapper upon which shall plainly 
appear the name of the clerk and the 
address to which such package is to 
be sent, together with a facsimile of 
the state seal, and such other markings 
as the secretary of the state may deem 
necessary. The clerk receiving such 


17 


package shall remove the outer wrap¬ 
per, and shall deliver such package 
with the inner wrapper intact to the 
ballot clerk of the town, city, borough, 
or ward or voting district therein, for 
which said ballots are intended for use, 
at least thirty minutes before the open¬ 
ing of the polls, and the ballot clerks 
shall give a receipt to the clerk for the 
ballots so delivered. Any person other 
than a ballot clerk, except as herein¬ 
before provided, who shall open or 
break the seal of any package of bal¬ 
lots, or any person who shall print, 
circulate, or distribute, or have in his 
possession, any ballot not in accord¬ 
ance with the provisions of this act 
shall be fined not less than one hundred 
nor more than one thousand dollars, 
or imprisoned in the state prison not 
more than two years, or both. 

Sec. 7. Sample ballots to be fur¬ 
nished by the secretary of the state. 

In addition to the official ballots de¬ 
livered to each town, city, or borough 
clerk, the secretary shall, at least one 
week before any election, send to the 
town, city, or borough clerk, as the 
case may be, wherein any election is to 
be held, a number of sample ballots for 
general distribution, printed on pink 

2 


18 


paper, such number to be equal to 
twenty-five per centum of the total 
number of official ballots sent to such 
town, city, or borough, and any person 
desiring an additional number of sam¬ 
ple ballots may obtain the same by 
filing with the secretary, within three 
days after all nominations have been 
made, an application therefor, and 
upon paying to such secretary the 
actual cost thereof; and said secretary 
shall deliver such sample ballots at 
least one week before the election at 
which such official ballots, of which the 
same are samples, are to be used. 

Sec. 8 . Party and organization 
nominations to be made at least three 
weeks prior to election. Section eight 
of chapter 250 of the public acts of 1909 
is hereby amended to read as follows: 
All parties or organizations of electors 
nominating candidates for any office 
who are to be voted for by such ballots 
shall make such nominations at least 
three weeks prior to the date of the 
election at which such candidates are 
to be voted for, and whenever any 
party or political organization shall 
hold any convention for the nomina¬ 
tion of candidates for office whose 
names are to appear upon the ballots 


19 


authorized by this act, except such con¬ 
ventions as are held for the nomination 
of town, city, or borough officers, or 
justices of the peace, the secretary of 
such convention or organization shall 
prepare an accurate list of the candi¬ 
dates nominated by such body, which 
list shall be certified by the chairman 
or presiding officer of such convention 
or organization, and the same shall be 
delivered to the secretary of the state 
by the chairman or secretary of such 
body not less than eighteen days prior 
to the time fixed by law for holding the 
election at which the candidates nom¬ 
inated at such convention are to be 
voted for. Whenever any caucus, con¬ 
vention, or meeting is held by the elect¬ 
ors of any party or political organiza¬ 
tion for the nomination of town, city, 
or borough officers, or justices of the 
peace, the secretary of such caucus, 
convention, or meeting shall prepare 
an accurate list of the nominations 
made at such caucus, convention, or 
meeting, which list shall be certified 
to by the presiding officer of such cau¬ 
cus, convention, or meeting and deliv¬ 
ered to the clerk of the town, city, or 
borough, as the case may be, for which 
such nominations are made, who shall 
verify and correct the names of candi- 


20 


dates appearing in such list in accord¬ 
ance with the voting list of such town, 
city, or borough, indorse the same as 
having been so verified and corrected, 
and shall, at least eighteen days before 
the time for holding the election at 
which the nominees named at such 
convention are to be voted for, trans¬ 
mit the same to the secretary of the 
state; provided, that in any town, city, 
or borough having a charter any pro¬ 
vision of which fixes the time for hold¬ 
ing such convention or meeting for the 
nomination of town, city, or borough 
officers at less than eighteen days, such 
convention or meeting shall be held 
and the names of the nominees trans¬ 
mitted as herein provided not less than 
ten days before the time for holding 
such election. At the time that such 
certified list of nominees is transmitted 
by the town, city, or borough clerk, as 
the case may be, to the secretary of the 
state, ' such town, city, or borough 
clerk shall transmit an order for a num¬ 
ber of ballots to be used at such elec¬ 
tion which shall equal the number of 
names upon the registry list last per¬ 
fected preceding the date of such order, 
plus twenty per centum of all names 
thereon. 


21 


Sec. 9. Special messenger to be 
sent for ballots, in case of delay. The 

town clerk and, in the case of a city 
or borough election, the city or bor¬ 
ough clerk, in case ballots are not re¬ 
ceived from the secretary as herein¬ 
before provided at least two days, Sun¬ 
days not included, prior to the time for 
the opening of the polls at such elec¬ 
tion, shall forthwith send a special 
messenger for said ballots. 

Sec. 10. Unused official ballots to 
be destroyed. Section ten of chapter 
250 of the public acts of 1909 is hereby 
amended by striking out in the seventh 
line thereof the words “ on or after the 
expiration of six months from ” and 
inserting in lieu thereof the words 
“ within ten days after ”, so that said 
section as amended shall read as fol¬ 
lows : At the close of every election it 
shall be the duty of the ballot clerks to 
return to the town, city, or borough 
clerk all official ballots remaining in 
their possession and all mutilated bal¬ 
lots which may have been returned 
to them, together with a statement of 
the number of ballots received by them, 
the number issued, and the number re¬ 
turned ; and, within ten days after the 
date of the election, the town clerk, 


22 


and, in case of city or borough elec¬ 
tions, the city or borough clerk shall 
destroy such mutilated and unused bal¬ 
lots and make a sworn statement to 
the secretary of the state of the number 
so destroyed. 

Sec. ii. Selectmen to provide rooms 
or booths; number and construction 
of booths. Section 1639 of the general 
statutes is hereby amended to read as 
follows: The selectmen of each town, 
unless otherwise specially provided;, 
shall provide a suitable room or rooms, 
or booths, for holding all elections re¬ 
quired by law, and all boxes required 
therefor. The number of rooms or 
booths shall be one for each one hun¬ 
dred and fifty names on the last per¬ 
fected registry list of the town, except 
that in towns having more than fifteen 
hundred names on said list there shall 
be one for each two hundred and fifty 
names. Such room or rooms, or 
booths, shall be supplied with neces¬ 
sary conveniences for electors to ar¬ 
range their ballots. The interior of 
the rooms or booths shall be secure 
from outside observation, and such 
rooms or booths shall be located in or 
connected with the room where the 
ballot boxes shall be stationed. Every 


23 


ballot box shall have an aperture in its 
lid for the purpose of depositing the 
ballots, and shall be so constructed 
that when the voting is completed the 
aperture may be closed so that no bal¬ 
lots can afterward be put into the box 
without reopening it. In addition 
thereto, the selectmen shall prepare 
or cause to be prepared an additional 
box which shall be placed by the side 
of the ballot box, which box shall be 
constructed in the same manner as the 
ballot box, in which said box all stubs 
torn or separated from the ballot at the 
time of voting shall at such time be de¬ 
posited. Such boxes shall be marked 
respectively “ ballots ”, “ stubs ”, “ bal¬ 
lots for women ”, and “ stubs of ballots 
for women ”, in order to designate the 
boxes in which the ballots and stubs 
shall be deposited, respectively. 

Sec. 12. Selectmen to provide bal¬ 
lot booth at which voter may receive 
ballot. The selectmen of each town, 
unless otherwise provided by special 
act, shall provide, at the entrance into 
the enclosure prescribed by the preced¬ 
ing section of this act, a ballot booth 
at which the voter shall obtain his bal¬ 
lot. Each ballot booth shall be in 
charge of two ballot clerks, not of the 


same political party, who shall be ap¬ 
pointed by the registrars, one of whom 
shall deliver to such elector one official 
ballot and no more; but in case any 
elector shall so deface or injure any 
such ballot as to render it unfit for use, 
upon the return of such ballot to the 
ballot clerks such clerks shall furnish 
him with another official ballot. 

Sec. 13. Arrangement of voting 
place. Section 1641 of the general 
statutes is hereby amended to read as 
follows: The ballot box at all elections 
shall be open for the reception of votes 
in an enclosure which shall be so ar¬ 
ranged that access to it shall be from 
the room or rooms, booth or booths, in 
which the electors shall prepare their 
ballots. The exit from such enclosure 
shall be into some other enclosure or 
hall, or into a public street or square, 
and the partition separating it from 
the main hall shall not be less than 
three feet nor more than four feet in 
height. No person shall be allowed 
to enter or remain in the enclosure 
where the ballot box and stub box are 
placed, at any meeting held under 
the provisions of this chapter, except 
for the purpose of depositing his ballot, 
unless he be a duly appointed modera- 


25 


tor, box-tender, registrar, checker, or 
challenger except as hereinafter pro¬ 
vided; provided, however, that there 
shall not be more than one challenger 
for each political party. The modera¬ 
tor may admit into the enclosure where 
the ballot box and stub box are placed 
any witnesses that may be required in 
cases of challenge, but only one at a 
time, and also such peace officers as 
may be required, but only when actu¬ 
ally required to preserve order or en¬ 
force any of the provisions hereof. 
No person shall give or offer to any 
elector, in any such room or booth, any 
ballot to be used in voting, or place 
any ballots in said room or booth for 
the use of electors, or for any purpose 
whatsoever. 

Sec. 14. Ballot boxes, when open; 
ballots, how offered. Section 1646 
of the general statutes is hereby 
amended to read as follows: The ballot 
and stub boxes at electors’ meetings 
shall be open for the reception of votes 
at the place and from the hour at 
which said meeting is warned until 
five o’clock in the afternoon, when 
they shall be closed; provided, that 
such boxes may be closed in any vot¬ 
ing district at an earlier hour than five 


26 


o’clock when so authorized by special 
enactment of the general assembly. 
The moderators shall place such boxes 
before said box-tenders, in a situation 
convenient of access by the electors, 
and publicly call upon the electors to 
bring in their ballots for such officers 
as are to be voted for. The voters shall, 
under the direction of the moderators 
in their respective towns or districts, 
lay the ballots, folded as hereinbefore 
provided, one at a time, on the lid of 
the ballot box. The box-tender shall, 
after the voter’s name is found and 
checked on the registry list, and after 
any challenge of the vote has been de¬ 
cided in favor of the elector offering 
such ballot, and not before, tear or re¬ 
move the stub from such ballot, and 
shall deposit the ballot in the box 
marked “ ballots ”, without opening 
the same or exposing to view any part 
of its face, and shall deposit the stub 
in the box marked “ stubs 

Sec. 15. Names of candidates for 
office to be on one ballot, excepting an 
election where women are entitled to 
vote. The names of candidates for all 
offices to be voted for at one and the 
same election shall be upon one ballot 
as hereinbefore prescribed, excepting 


27 


that at all elections at which women are 
by law entitled to vote the names of all 
candidates for whom women may le¬ 
gally vote shall be upon a separate bal¬ 
lot, which shall be prepared after the 
same form and description, and deliv¬ 
ered in the same manner, as herein¬ 
before provided, and at such elections 
separate boxes, distinctly marked as 
hereinbefore prescribed, shall be pro¬ 
vided, in which shall be deposited all 
ballots cast by women. 

Sec. i 6. Moderator to direct de¬ 
posit of ballots. The moderator in 
charge of any electors’ meeting, or the 
box-tender in charge of the ballot box 
at such elections, if any elector shall 
attempt to place in the box a ballot not 
folded within the booth as hereinbefore 
provided, shall direct such elector to 
return to such booth for the purpose 
of folding his ballot. If any ballot 
shall contain a greater number of 
names voted for for any office than is 
provided by law, it shall render such 
ballot void as to such office only. If 
any ballot shall contain any mark or 
device other than as hereinbefore pro¬ 
vided, so that the same may be identi¬ 
fied in such a manner as to indicate who 
might have cast the same, or shall be 


28 


folded otherwise than as delivered to 
the voter by the ballot clerk, the ballot 
shall not be counted, but shall be kept 
by the moderator and returned to the 
town clerk in the ballot box in a separ¬ 
ate package from the ballots counted 
at such election. 

Sec. i 7. Booth tenders’duties; bal¬ 
lots to be deposited or returned. Sec¬ 
tion 1650 of the general statutes is 
hereby amended to read as follows: 
The registrar of each town shall desig¬ 
nate and appoint two persons to serve 
during the hours the polls shall be 
open, who shall have charge of the 
rooms or booths herein provided for. 
Only one elector at a time shall be per¬ 
mitted to enter the same room or booth 
to prepare his ballot, unless the elector, 
from physical infirmity, requires an 
attendant, and it shall be the duty of 
the person having charge of such 
rooms or booths to see that the space 
is vacant before admitting an elector, 
and no person, while an elector is in 
such room or booth, shall attempt to 
ascertain or observe the ballot pre¬ 
pared by such elector, and no elector 
shall remain in the room or booth, 
while preparing his ballot, more than 
three minutes, and he shall then pass 


29 


out and into the enclosure where the 
ballot box and stub box are placed, 
and, under the direction of the modera¬ 
tor, shall deposit his ballot upon the 
ballot box. Every person who has re¬ 
ceived an official ballot from any ballot 
clerk, and who, having passed into the 
enclosure where the ballot box and 
the'stub box are placed, shall fail to de¬ 
posit the same upon the ballot box as 
prescribed, shall immediately, and be¬ 
fore leaving said enclosure, deliver the 
same to the moderator ; and any person 
having received an official ballot from 
said ballot clerks, or either of them, 
and who for any reason shall fail to 
pass with the same into the enclosure 
in which said ballot box and stub box 
are placed, shall immediately, and be¬ 
fore leaving the room or booth where 
said ballot clerks are stationed, return 
the same to said ballot clerks. 

Sec. 18. Interference prohibited. 

Section 1652 of the general statutes is 
hereby amended to read as follows: No 
official or other person at any election 
provided for herein shall, in the en¬ 
closure where the ballot box and stub 
box are placed, or in the rooms or 
booths herein mentioned, suggest^ to 
any elector the name of any political 


30 


party or candidate for any office. No 
person shall assist or offer to assist 
any elector in the preparation of his 
ballot to be used in voting, unless re¬ 
quested thereto by the elector because 
of a physical infirmity necessitating 
such assistance. 

Sec. 19. Counters; certificates; dec¬ 
laration of vote. Section 1656 of the 
general statutes as amended by section 
nineteen of chapter 250 of the public 
acts of 1909 is hereby amended to read 
as follows: At every election specified 
in the preceding sections of this act, 
each registrar shall appoint from one 
to five persons as may be necessary 
for each ballot box in his district, ward, 
or town, who shall make the official 
count of the ballots in said box, and of 
the stubs in the stub box. In appoint¬ 
ing such counters the registrars shall, 
upon request made to such registrars 
at least three days before the date of 
such election by the town committee 
of any party nominating candidates for 
the offices to be voted for at such elec¬ 
tion, and which has a duly organized 
state central committee or other sim¬ 
ilar form of state organization, appoint 
one counter to represent such party. 
Immediately after the ballot boxes are 


31 


closed at such meeting, and not before, 
the counters shall, in public meeting, 
count the ballots and the stubs found 
in such boxes. In case of doubt or dis¬ 
pute as to the reading of a ballot, or 
whether the ballot should be rejected 
for any cause, the moderator shall de¬ 
cide. All ballots rejected shall, after 
being indorsed upon the back thereof 
by the moderator with the cause of re¬ 
jection, be preserved in a separate 
parcel, securely tied or sealed, and re¬ 
turned to the box with the valid votes. 
The official counters at any electors’ 
meeting, immediately after the count is 
completed, shall, under their hands, 
or the hands of a majority of them, de¬ 
liver to the moderator a certificate, in 
duplicate, stating the number of ballots 
found in the box, and, in case more 
than one box was used, the number 
found in each box, giving the number 
of ballots rejected for any cause, and 
the number of votes counted for each 
candidate and office, respectively, and 
the number of stubs found in the stub 
box. The moderator shall, before 
adjournment, publicly declare the re¬ 
sult of the count. 

Sec. 20. Ballot returns. Section 
1663 of the general statutes is hereby 


32 


amended to read as follows: The pre¬ 
siding officer of every electors’ meeting 
at which candidates for the office of 
presidential electors, governor, lieu¬ 
tenant-governor, secretary, treasurer, 
comptroller, attorney-general, repre¬ 
sentative at large, representative in 
congress, senator, representative in the 
general assembly, sheriff, or judge of 
probate are voted for shall make out 
and return to the secretary of the state, 
with the certificate that he is required 
to send to said secretary, a full state¬ 
ment showing the number of ballots 
counted and returned to him by the 
checkers and counters. The secretary 
shall enter said returns in tabular form 
in books kept by him for that purpose, 
and present a printed report of the 
same to the general assembly at its 
next session. 

Sec. 21. Removal of officials. Sec¬ 
tion 1664 of the general statutes is 
hereby amended to read as follows: 
If at any time during the performance 
of his duties any counter, booth-tender, 
box-tender, ballot clerk, or checker 
shall, from any cause, be found incom¬ 
petent, said registrars may remove him 
and appoint a competent person in his 
stead. 


33 


Sec. 22. Tie vote; new election. 
Section 1667 of the general statutes 
is hereby amended to read as follows: 
If the electors of any town, city, or bor¬ 
ough shall fail to choose a candidate 
for any office, by reason of an equality 
of votes at any electors’ meeting, and 
no provision is otherwise made by law 
for the election of a candidate to such 
office, such meeting shall stand ad¬ 
journed for one week at the same hour 
at which the first meeting was held. 
Official ballots of the same form and 
description as hereinbefore described, 
excepting that such ballots shall con¬ 
tain only the names of the candidates 
for which the same are to be voted, 
shall be used in the election on such 
adjourned day, and the election shall 
be conducted in the same manner as 
on the first day, except that the ballots 
shall be given for such officer only. 
Ballots for such election shall be pro¬ 
cured forthwith from the secretary of 
the state by the town, city, or borough 
clerk, as the case may be, of the town, 
city, or borough wherein such meeting 
stands adjourned, and it shall be the 
duty of such town, city, or borough 
clerk to furnish the secretary with an 
accurate list of all candidates to. be 
voted for at such adjourned meeting. 

3 


34 


Sec. 23. Penalties. Section 1715 of 
the general statutes is hereby amended 
to read as follows: Any person, not 
expressly authorized thereto, who shall 
have in his possession any official bal¬ 
lot, and any person who shall make or 
have in his possession any forged imi¬ 
tation of any official ballot, and any 
person who shall offer to anyone not 
authorized or permitted by law to have 
or receive an official ballot, or who 
shall aid or knowingly permit any per¬ 
son to obtain possession of an official 
ballot, and any person who shall offer 
to aid or knowingly permit anyone to 
obtain possession of an official ballot 
for the purpose of using the same for 
any purpose not prescribed by law, 
and any person not authorized who 
shall give or offer to any person an offi¬ 
cial ballot, and any person who shall 
offer to another any forged imitation 
of any official ballot, or shall offer to 
the box-tender, for the purpose of vot¬ 
ing the same, any ballot not an official 
ballot, and any person who shall offer 
any elector while he is in an election 
booth any ballot, or place any ballot 
in such booth for the use of any elector, 
or for any purpose, and any person, not 
by law authorized thereto, who shall 
receive from another any official ballot 


35 


not authorized, by the provisions of 
this chapter, to offer or give the same, 
and any person who shall receive an 
official ballot for the purpose of using 
the same for any other purpose or pur¬ 
poses than those expressly named by 
the provisions of this chapter, and any 
person who shall knowingly receive 
for the purpose of depositing the same 
in any ballot box any forged imitation 
of any official ballot, and any box- 
tender who shall knowingly deposit 
in any ballot box any ballot not an offi¬ 
cial balfot, or any box-tender who shall 
knowingly deposit in any stub box any 
stub other than one torn or separated 
from a ballot offered by an elector 
while in the act of voting, and any per¬ 
son who shall imitate any official bal¬ 
lot or shall print any ballot authorized 
by this act in any other manner than 
as prescribed by the secretary of the 
state, and any person who shall place 
upon any official ballot any mark or 
device for the purpose of enabling any 
person to identify the same as having 
been voted by himself or by any par¬ 
ticular person, or who shall alter or 
change any ballot by erasing or remov¬ 
ing the name or names therefrom; and 
any person who shall attempt to ascer¬ 
tain or observe the ballot being voted 


36 


by any elector while such elector is in 
any booth or enclosure so as to. ascer¬ 
tain how such elector may have voted, 
excepting as provided in this act, and 
any person who, having received his 
official ballot, shall leave the voting 
place without having either delivered 
it to the box-tender or the moderator 
or returned it to a ballot clerk, and any 
person who shall print or cause to be 
printed upon any official ballot the 
name of any person not a candidate of 
a party whose name is printed at the 
head of the column containing such 
party nominees, or shall offer to any 
elector such a ballot, shall be fined not 
less than one hundred dollars and not 
more than one thousand dollars, or 
imprisoned not more than five years, 
or both. 

Sec. 24. Assistant clerk to act in 
case of absence or inability of clerk. 

All duties devolving upon the clerk of 
any town, city, or borough under the 
provisions of this act shall be per¬ 
formed, in case of his absence or in¬ 
ability, by the assistant clerk. 

Sec. 25. Provisions not to apply 
where voting machines used. The 

provisions of this act, in so far as the 


3 1 


same are inconsistent with the use of 
voting machines, shall not apply to any 
town, city, or borough using voting 
machines as provided by law, while 
such town, city, or borough continues 
the use of such voting machines. 

Sec. 26. Secretary of state author¬ 
ized to adopt and enforce rules relative 
to provisions of this act. The secre¬ 
tary of the state is hereby authorized 
to adopt and enforce any rule or order 
for the purpose of carrying into effect 
any provision of this act. 

Sec. 27. Expense of printing bal¬ 
lots to be paid by towns, cities, or 
boroughs. The expense of printing the 
sample ballots provided by section 
seven of chapter 250 of the public acts 
of 1909 shall, in the case of. samples of 
ballots to be used at any town, city, or 
borough election, be paid for by the 
town, city, or borough, as the case may 
be. The expense of delivery of all 
official and sample ballots provided 
for by said chapter 250 of the public 
acts of 1909 shall be prepaid by the 
state. 

Sec. 28. Repeal. Sections 1633, 1634, 
1635, 1640, 1648, 1649, 1651, 1653, 1661, 


33 


and 1703 of the general statutes, chap¬ 
ter 241 of the public acts of 1905, and 
chapter 187 of the public acts of 1907 
are hereby repealed. 


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